Wire fastener



p 19, 1933- E. F. BAILEY 1,927,732

WIRE FASTENER Filed Jan. 8, 1952 E.I.'Faj/Zey INVENTOR ATTORN EY Patented Sept. 19, 1933 v 1,9,27,'13?.' 4 WIREFASTVENER.

Eugene F. Bailey, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor'to .Raymond A. Knoll, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application January 8, 1932.. Serial No. 585,578

. 6 Claims. (Cl. 24261) This invention relates to fasteners and more particularly to fasteners adapted for usein attaching tags or other identifying media orindicia temporarily on articles or materials.

An objectof the invention is the provision of a fastener which will effectively grip and attach itself to the articleor material to be identified.

Another object of the invention is the provision of; such a fastener which will not damage the article or material. j r

. A further and important object is the provision of a fastener which may spread open to support thereon one or a plurality of tags, which will readily and automatically spring to closed position and which will have itsjaws automatically opened when the article to be identified is inserted between the jaws after which the jaws automatically close.

A still further object is the provision of a fastenerreadily and inexpensively formed, from a single piece of wire. 1 V

Other objects and advantages will present themselves as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed, reference being had to the accom-' panying drawing which forms part of this application. V p

In the drawing Figure 1 is an elevation of a fastener carrying an identifyingtag. 1

Figure 2 is an edgeview of the fastener. Figure 3 is a perspective ,view thereof. j Figure 4 is an elevation showing the movable jaw of the fastener swung to open position to permit the arrangement oftags on the fastener.

Figure 5 is an elevation of another form of the fastener. I

Figure 6 is an edge view thereof.

Figure 7 is a perspective View thereof.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the construction disclosed by Figures 1 to 4 but showing the jaws fully opened.

,My fastener is formed, by a suitable machine, from a single piece of tempered steel wire. This wire 1 is bent intermediate its ends, but not at its mid-point to form a shorter leg 2and a longer leg 3. In the showing of Figures 1 to 4 of the drawing the legs 2 and 3 are arched or bowed away from each other, but the said legs, adjacent to the jawend of the fastener cross each other. At the point of crossing of the legs 2 and 3, the longer leg 3 is rounded upon itself and is formed with an angle substantially U-shaped bent portion 4 which is directed toward the bottom of the fastener. The upper arm of this bent portion is indicated for distinction by the nuand not at angles with respecti to each other it the leg 3, a distance approximately equaling the meral 5 and merges into an inwardly directed angle and which is arranged transverselywith respect to the centrallongitudinal plane of the fastener. This end 6 provides one of the jaws of the fastener, and the. shorter leg 2 has its I upper end similarly bent to provide the second I jaw 7 of the fastener. The cooperating jaws'6 and '7 have pointedends and these points -are formed by beveling the extremities of the jaws 6 and '7 opposite directions,;as indicated by the numeral 8. Thusit will be noted that the sharpened ends of the jaws ,(i and 7 are arranged upon the loweror inner edgeshther eof. This is an important feature of the invention,

as the outer substantially V-shaped space Shbetween the pointed ends of the jaws afiords'an entrance mouth for the article or material on which the fastener is temporarily attached. Also by arranging the jaws 6 and! in the same plane,

will be apparent that .the jaws may be moved away from each other Without inflicting injury tothe article or material engaged thereby. v I

The arms 4 and 5 are arranged to oneside of thickness of the wire strand 1. These arms thus afford a combined guide and keeper for the leg 2 so that the jaw '7 carried bythe leg 2 will have its pointed end normally in contact withthev pointed end of the jaw 6 and also this combined guide and keeper prevents" the lateral movement of the leg 2.with respect to the leg 3. The combined guide and keeper for the leg 2 reinforces and strengthens the leg 3 to an extent that vwill render the said leg 3 practically rigid, whilethe archedor bowed leg 2'will, upon pressure, be forced through the guide and keeper to open'the jaws of the fastener and to'permit of one of a plurality of tags 10 being passed over the leg 2, while a release of such pressure will permit of the leg 2 springing between the keeper and the upper portion of the leg 3 and thus automatically brin the pointed end of therjawfl against the pointed end of the jaw The above description refers particularly to Figures 1 to 4 and Figure 8 of thedrawing, but

. r arm his its outer end rounded upon itself, as at same may be shipped to the merchant or to the 13, the said rounded portion merging into an 7 outer arm 14 spaced from but arranged in the same angle as the arm 12. The outer end of the arm 14 is bent upon itself and'formed with an angle extension 15 that merges into an inwardly directed jaw 16 similar to the jaw 6. The second leg- 1'7 of the fastener is bowed or arched outwardly with respect to the straight leg and has its upper portion received in .the'coinbined guide and keeperprovided by the arms 12 and14 and the extension 15. The outer end of the bowed or arched arm 17 has an angle extension that. provides a jaw 18, and the contacting ends of these jaws are beveled or cut at opposite angles from their outer surfaces toprovide inner :00- operating points and an outer substantially V shaped entrance mouth or passage for the fab ric or other article with which the jaws temporarily impringingly engage. gripped by the jaws by passing the said material through the entrance mouthf'provided by the beveled cooperating ends of" the "jaws, and by slightly movin'g the jaw 18'1ater'ally away from the jaw lfiythe leg-'17 will automatically spring to open-position as disclosed by the dotted lines in Figure 5 so that one or a plurality of tags may be supported between the legsll and 17. When the leg '17 is sprung between the combined guide and keeper provided by the arm-S112, 14 and 1-5 the jaw 18 may bemoved by contact with the said arms to bring its pointed end into contacting enga-gement with the pointed or sharpened-end of the jaw 16.

To those skilled in the art to which this in- I ventio'n relates it will be apparent that the jaw construction "of my fastener permits the device being readily inserted through and securely attaching itself to an article without damage to such article and that the said jaws will move in a straight line away from eachotherwhen the fastener is to be removed from the article;

that the guide and keeper hold themovable jaw '7 or '16 in positive alinement and in contact with the stationary jaw, and furtherthe' important feature of permitting the movable jaw and the leg on which it is attached being moved or sprung away from the; stationary jaw and the stationary leg so that "not only the indicia bearing 'tag of a store orfactory may be supported on the fastener but other tags'bearing other indicia, such for instance, as a sold tag or a special sale tag used when the article is sold or when the selling price of the article is reduced, may be also arranged upon the fastener after, and not before, the fastener is wholly constructed. -It should also heapparent that the fastener may be cheaply manufactured in quantities by a suitable machine and the individual fasteners thus produced delivered from the machine in determined quan tities into a box or like receptacle so that the upon itself. to provide an open keeper which normally receives the other leg therein, and the ends of the legs having inwardly directed meeting jaws.

The material is ing and contacting ends are notched to provide inner sharpened points. 7

. 3. A fastener formed from a single piece of tempered steel wire bent upon itself to provide two legs which extend in the same direction but which cross each other adjacent to their outer ends, one of said legs-being bent laterally upon itself to add .to the rigidity of said leg and likewise afiord akeeper in which the second leg is normally "received and through which keeper the said second leg may be passed when pressure is exerted thereagainst, and both of said legs having their ends bent toward each other toprovide whose-ends contact and which have their outer portions beveled to provide are heldin contacting engagement by the keeper and the said jaws being beveled in o'pposite directions n amitneir outer surface to provide points whi'cl'i are in centact with each other. I r

-5. A fastener formedfrom a-Single piece of tempered steel wire rounded upon itself to provide legs that extend-in the same direction and which cross each ether adjacent totheir outer ends, one of the legs being 'longer than the other end being bent laterally and angularly upon -itseirtorenaer the said leg rigid and to afford a keeper for the second and swin'gable leg which swingable leg-is movable through'the keeper when pressure is exerted thereagainst,

said legs having their ends'bent and extended toward each other in'the same plane and having their ends "cut at opposite angles to provide inner points which are held in contact with each other by the inherent spring of the swingable leg and by thecontacting engagementof the swing able 'leg with 5 the closed end pf the keeper.

c. A rastener formed er a strander :spz-ng wire rolled upon itself to provideapair oflegs which crosseach other adjacent the'outer ends thereof, o'neof "said legs being rounded and formed withfa lateral substantially U-s h'aped s reen, to add rigidity thereto and provide a keeper which is open at one cf 'it's ends and in which the second leg is normall'y received, and jaws on the outer end-s ofthe-l-e'gs and-forced into contact with each other by 'the second ieg when the latter is in contact with the closed end'of the'kee'p'er.

EUGENE FJ-BAI'BE'Y. v

2. A fastener formed from a single piece of l li I 

